Seventy times seven YEARS.- `Seventy weeks are determined'

(Dan. 9:24).

At once we realize that Pentecost cannot be understood if it be taken out of its place in this series of typical

periods. To attempt to fit Pentecost into the `church', destroys both the typical character of the feast, and the

distinctive character of the `church'.

The feasts of the Lord, then, of Leviticus 23 are as follows:

a 5.

A REDEMPTION BY BLOOD.

PASSOVER.

b 6-8.  UNLEAVENED BREAD.

Seven Days. Egypt.

c 9-14  FIRSTFRUITS.

B REAPING

d 15-21 PENTECOST.

c 22 HARVEST.

d 24,25 TRUMPETS.

A ATONEMENT BY BLOOD.

a 27-32. DAY OF ATONEMENT.

b 34-44 TABERNACLES.

Seven Days. Egypt.

The Lord knew that Israel would not repent and be gathered the first time, and that the purpose of the ages would

reach out to the trumpets of the Apocalypse and the harvest at the end of the age. Nevertheless the feast of Pentecost

was an anticipation of harvest, just as firstfruits was, and the gathering of Israel to Jerusalem at this period was an

anticipation of that great gathering at the time of the end.

A peculiar feature of Pentecost is that a new meal offering was commanded:

`Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall

be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD' (Lev. 23:17).

It had already been commanded that `no meat (meal) offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made

with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire' (Lev. 2:11). The

two leavened loaves of Pentecost cannot therefore typify Christ: they are a firstfruits, and typify His people. The

reason why two loaves were specified appears to be that the Lord knew that the kingdom would be divided, and that

at the restoration the ten tribes and the two tribes (commonly spoken of as Israel and Judah) would come together

again as one before Him. Ezekiel 37:15-28 sees this forth under the figure of the two sticks: `I will make them one

nation ... they shall be no more two' (Ezek. 37:22).

The appointment of Matthias to complete the number of the twelve, and the gathering of Jews from twelve of the

nations round about, are therefore features that are living and harmonious when Pentecost is seen in the light of

God's purpose to gather Israel again and restore the kingdom.  But their import is lost when Pentecost is

misinterpreted as of the inception of the `church', and, indeed, those who most strongly advocate the doctrine that

the `church' began at Pentecost have among them those who do not hesitate to call the appointment of Matthias an

`apostolic mistake'.

What digressions have been necessary before reaching Peter's explanation of Pentecost! Had every reader as

much knowledge of the teaching of the Old Testament as Peter and the gathered multitudes, we could have gone

straight on to his inspired explanation, but, as it is, we should not have appreciated his reference to Joel if we were

not in possession of facts which to that assembled multitude were a matter of everyday knowledge. These we have

now considered and have therefore done what we could to bring back the atmosphere of the original Pentecost. This

accomplished we will proceed in our exposition.